Butyl elastomeric polymers have been known and commercially available for many years. They possess a variety of inherently satisfactory properties as elastomers which has enabled them to find utility in many commercial uses. Among their satisfactory inherent properties are their impermeability to air, high damping of low frequency vibrations, and good resistance to aging, heat, acids, bases, ozone and other chemicals after vulcanization, which renders them well suited for use in a variety of applications including articles requiring low or reduced permeability to air. Examples of such articles include, but are not limited to, tire inner tubes, tire curing bladders and various air bladders.
Halogenated butyl elastomeric polymers have also been known and commercially available for many years. In addition to possessing the satisfactory inherent properties of butyl elastomeric polymers described above, halogenated butyl elastomeric polymers also possess cure compatibility with more highly unsaturated rubbers and good adhesion to such other rubbers after vulcanization, which renders them well suited for use in pneumatic tire inner liners. In the tire industry's continuing quest for improved inner liners, an elastomeric compound which exhibits both an improvement in processability and green strength and, after vulcanization, an improvement in air impermeability and tear strength over conventional inner liners would be desirable, provided that these improvements also resulted in the maintenance of a high level of strength and adhesive properties.